CCM Musical Theatre Celebrates the Songs of Kurt Weill with ‘Into a Lamplit Room’

Celebrated music theatre composer Kurt Weill.

CCM continues to study and celebrate the work of composer Kurt Weill with Into a Lamplit Room: The Songs of Kurt Weill presented by CCM’s Department of Musical Theatre at 7 p.m. on both Sunday, March 3, and Sunday, March 10.

Devised and directed by CCM Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre Aubrey Berg with musical direction by Julie Spangler and musical staging by Joey Dippel, this evening of cabaret-style entertainment offers a compilation of Weill songs in the intimate setting of UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater.

CCM Undergraduate Opera Series Presents New Take on Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’

CCM Professor of Voice Kenneth Shaw.

CCM’s Opera d’arte Series proudly presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s timeless opera buffa Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) from Feb. 22-24 in UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Under the guidance of conductor Brett Scott and stage director Kenneth Shaw, talented undergraduate opera students will present this favorite of the classical opera repertoire with a unique 1960s-inspired aesthetic. Tickets to this production are free and become available at noon on Monday, Feb. 18. Reservations are required.

Mozart wrote this comic opera in Vienna in 1786, basing the work on a play by the French writer Pierre Beaumarchais. “Figaro was the first collaboration between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte,“ Shaw explains, “and for their source material they chose Beaumarchais’ controversial La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro (The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro), the second part of a trilogy that began with Le Barbier de Séville (later the basis for the Rossini opera of the same name). Figaro the play was censored in Beaumarchais’ native France over concerns about its ‘subversive’ plot, which depicts the efforts of a Spanish nobleman, Count Almaviva, to seduce Suzanne, a beautiful young servant of his wife, only to be thwarted and humiliated by his wife, the Countess Rosina, working in concert with the Count’s servant, Figaro, who is also Suzanne’s fiancée.”

CCM Video: Students Perform Original Song Live On TV’s ‘Cincinnality’

Last Sunday, the Fox 19 variety show Cincinnality aired a UC-themed episode, shot on location in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater with special co-host UC President Santa Ono! Today, we have a highlight from that episode, featuring CCM students Josh Tolle (piano, vocals), Jacob Yates (cello), Christine Smith (dancer) and Max Clayton (dancer). The performance starts at the 1:31 minute mark below:

“Starcrossed” is an original song written by Tolle with choreography by Smith. Stay tuned for more highlights from Cincinnality!

CCM Presents Acclaimed Flutist Molly Alicia Barth and Guitarist Dieter Hennings In Concert This Week

CCM’s Guest Artist Series proudly presents Grammy Award-winning flutist (and CCM alumna) Molly Alicia Barth and acclaimed guitarist Dieter Hennings in concert at 8 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 24, in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. Tickets to this performance are free. Reservations are not required.

Barth and Hennings’ Jan. 24 performance is scheduled to include a performance of CCM Associate Professor of Composition Michael Fiday‘s Five Haiku for alto flute and guitar, along with Philippe Hurel’s Loops, Juan Trigos’ From Partita, André Jolivet’s Ascèses, Herbet Vazquez’s El jardín del pasaje púrpura, David Lang’s Vent, Jean Micahel Damase’s Quatre Facettes and Toru Takemitsu’s Toward the Sea.

Grammy Award-winning flutist Molly Alicia Barth.

About Molly Alicia Barth
Described as “ferociously talented” by The Oregonian, Grammy-Award winning flutist Molly Alicia Barth is an active solo, chamber and orchestral musician, specializing in the music of today. As a founding member of the new music sextet eighth blackbird, Barth toured extensively throughout the world, recorded four CDs with Cedille Records, won a 2008 Grammy (“Best Chamber Music Performance”) and was granted the 2000 Naumburg Chamber Music Award, first prize at the 1998 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the 1998/2000/2002 CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming, first prize at the 1997 Coleman Chamber Music Competition and first prize at the 1996 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Janelle Gelfand Reviews CCM’s Latest Opera Fusion Workshop

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand shares her thoughts on our latest Opera Fusion workshop production, Morning Star, in today’s installment of the Arts in Focus blog. You can read her review here.

CCM and Cincinnati Opera presented public workshop performances of Ricky Ian Gordon and William M. Hoffman‘s Morning Star earlier this week. The workshop was filmed for a forthcoming documentary focusing on Opera Fusion: New Works, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. You can learn more about this documentary here.

Opera Fusion: New Works is generously funded by a $300,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

CCM’s ‘Laramie Project’ Earns LCT Nomination

Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized CCM’s The Laramie Project with an LCT nomination for Ensemble in a Play as well as distinguishing it as a recommended production. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew!

‘CityBeat’ Previews Next Opera Fusion Workshop

‘Morning Star’ composer Ricky Ian Gordon.

Anne Arenstein previews Opera Fusion‘s next workshop in this week’s issue of CityBeat. View the story online here.

CCM and Cincinnati Opera will present public workshop performances of Ricky Ian Gordon and William M. Hoffman‘s Morning Star Dec. 4 (at Memorial Hall in downtown Cincinnati) and Dec. 5 (at CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater). This workshop is being filmed for a forthcoming documentary focusing on Opera Fusion: New Works, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. You can learn more about this documentary here. Opera Fusion: New Works is generously funded by a $300,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Tickets for CCM’s presentation become available at noon on Monday, Dec. 3 – visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Learn more about Morning Star here.

CCM Slideshows: The Laramie Project

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Today, we provide a sneak-peek at CCM’s upcoming Studio Series production of the thought-provoking drama The Laramie Project. Tickets are still available for this powerful stage event, which runs Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 in UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission to The Laramie Project is free, but reservations are required.

CCM and Cincinnati Opera Present New American Opera ‘Morning Star’ Dec. 4 and 5

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CCM’s Department of Opera teams up with Cincinnati Opera in the second of two installments of Opera Fusion: New Works 2012, a program offering composers and librettists the opportunity to workshop a new opera during a 10-day residency. CCM’s public workshop performance of Morning Star, composed by Ricky Ian Gordon with libretto by William M. Hoffman, will be presented at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 in UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater.

The workshop will be directed by Ron Daniels, who staged the world premiere of the new American opera Il Postino at LA Opera in 2010. Metropolitan Opera regular Steven White will conduct the piece. Admission to Morning Star is free but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Dec. 3 – visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

CCM Presents Thought-Provoking Drama ‘The Laramie Project’ Nov. 29-Dec. 1

The cast of CCM’s Studio Series production of ‘The Laramie Project.’ Photo by Richard E. Hess.

CCM proudly presents The Laramie Project as the next installment in this year’s Studio Series. Written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, this popular and powerful play runs Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 in UC’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission to The Laramie Project is free, but reservations are required.